COGA has pursued the identification of the genetic mechanisms contributing to alcohol use disorder, through both genetic studies (see 4. Genetics in this issue) and functional molecular studies of gene expression, including screening for regulatory elements and studying effects of variations in identified loci in neuronal models. These studies were made possible not only by sharing key genomic data among COGA across its 10 sites and with external investigators, but also by the forward‐looking decision made decades ago to cryopreserve lymphocytes from COGA participants, providing a unique source of cells from individuals with extensive phenotypic and genotypic data (see 2. Sample and Clinical Data, and 4. Genetics in this issue).
